Installing a solar panel on to a pop-top

[Davenjo]

It would help if you turned the fridge down a bit, it doesn't need to be on full!

I like really cold beer!!

 

[Davenjo]

I like really cold beer!!

..seriously, if going off grid this is what I would do. The issue for me is that I bought the solar panel with the expectation that it would run the fridge indefinitely without EHU - seems my expectations were set too high but I'm still interested to check that my system is working correctly.

 

[travelvolts]

Then there is a price to pay! I would certainly look at having that system checked out first though.

 

[Davenjo]

Then there is a price to pay! I would certainly look at having that system checked out first though.

I've already paid over £500 for my system!! Took it back once to get it checked - they swapped the controller out just in case but still not doing what I thought I'd paid for. The weakest link is probably my 70ah battery.

I've ordered a cheap multimeter so, as suggested above, I can at least check the voltage/amps the panel is producing and what comes out the other side of the controller - will post an update once it arrives and I've had chance to check.

Thanks for advice so far!!

 

[travelvolts]

I don't think your battery is a weak link. A quality 70 ah AGM is as good as most 100/110 ah wet batteries.

 

[Wongo]

Top tip put the fridge on full when on hook up before you go away then turn it to medium when on battery

 

[Davenjo]

I've already paid over £500 for my system!! Took it back once to get it checked - they swapped the controller out just in case but still not doing what I thought I'd paid for. The weakest link is probably my 70ah battery.

I've ordered a cheap multimeter so, as suggested above, I can at least check the voltage/amps the panel is producing and what comes out the other side of the controller - will post an update once it arrives and I've had chance to check.

Thanks for advice so far!!

Update: After a couple of weeks of glorious weather and still no evidence of the battery being charged via the solar panel, I checked the voltage coming from the panel and it was 19.8v so no problems there. However, the voltage going to the battery was only 11.23v. It seem the charge controller was matching the voltage of the battery rather than trying to charge it by putting a higher voltage out?

I took the van back on Monday this week and they were able to confirm that the charge controller was faulty and so swapped it out. Everything now seems to be working as I originally hoped/expected and, even with my fridge on max, an overcast day on Monday and wall to wall rain yesterday, the panel has kept the battery charged at around the level it was at on Monday and more than capable of keeping the fridge running (last week the battery would have dropped below the level required to run the compressor within 2 days). We've had a bit more sun today and by lunchtime, and using the water pump and leaving some lights on as well as the fridge to give it more of a test, the battery was fully charged.

Seems a 100w panel can/should work as I hoped so no longer thinking I wasted circa £500.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[andys]

Hi @Davenjo, reading this thread again after being prompted by your Busfest post as it's something I'm mulling over and it's useful to hear it's working in real life. Can I ask if you bought the panel separately and then got someone to fit it, or was it a supply and fit? Also is it bonded with something like Sikaflex or is it bolted on?

 

[Davenjo]

Hi @Davenjo, reading this thread again after being prompted by your Busfest post as it's something I'm mulling over and it's useful to hear it's working in real life. Can I ask if you bought the panel separately and then got someone to fit it, or was it a supply and fit? Also is it bonded with something like Sikaflex or is it bolted on?

It was supply and fit - I went back to where I got the van simply to avoid any potential issues with warranty further down the line. It is bonded to the roof but only fully along the back edge - this is deliberate to assist with heat dissipation. I responded to a thread on gas struts yesterday - one of the photos I used shows the panel so you can see how flat it is Up grade for gas struts on tailgate

 

[andys]

It was supply and fit - I went back to where I got the van simply to avoid any potential issues with warranty further down the line. It is bonded to the roof but only fully along the back edge - this is deliberate to assist with heat dissipation. I responded to a thread on gas struts yesterday - one of the photos I used shows the panel so you can see how flat it is Up grade for gas struts on tailgate

Thanks for the info

 

[totallyrocks]

I have a 100w PV Logic flexi panel on the roof which has the cable exit beneath the panel - this makes for quite a neat installation. There is then a hole through the pop top roof (beneath the panel so out of sight but also outside of the canvas) with a loop of cable to cope with rise and fall of roof - as above this folds itself neatly. The cable is then fed through the velcro opening in the rear of the canvas (SCA 194) and into the van below.

However, whilst the installation looks neat I am not convinced it is doing an awful lot!!

I had the system installed on the expectation that I would be able to run my fridge (Waeco CRX65) indefinitely but I am still finding that after 2 or 3 days on max the battery drops below the required voltage to run the compressor. Initially I put this down to the winter and limited sun but now I am not so sure.??

The van lives on the drive at home and, whilst not in full sun all day, it does get it pretty much from sunrise until about 2pm at this time of year. We came back from a trip to Ullswater last week and the leisure battery was fully charged, i.e. green light on solar controller (picture below) flashing. After leaving the fridge on for a couple of hours after we got home until it was unloaded the green light on the controller had gone to solid. Everything in the van has been switched off since we arrived home and the van has not moved. Whilst there has not been a lot of sunny days over the last week we have had some sun and this morning was sunny all day here, consequently I would expect to see the green light flashing to say the battery was now full again.

@travelvolts - does the above sound a bit iffy to you or are my expectations too high??

NB. I only have a 70ah Banner AGM battery owing to lack of space where it is positioned under the drivers seat alongside my Eberspacher heater but would still expect the solar panel to keep it topped up when nothing is running??

Cheers,

Dave.

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View attachment 9672

Hi, Im trying to find out if a high voltage CIGS panel would fit on a SCA 194 with roof rails, it needs to be quite flat across as they dont bend much. They are 2630mm x 995mm but dont have a roof to measure!

Would anyone be able to measure this quickley?

thanks in advance

 

[Davenjo]

Hi, Im trying to find out if a high voltage CIGS panel would fit on a SCA 194 with roof rails, it needs to be quite flat across as they dont bend much. They are 2630mm x 995mm but dont have a roof to measure!

Would anyone be able to measure this quickley?

thanks in advance

Hello and welcome Shaun. Think I need to check T6 Forum ahead of Facebook Cross posting response I gave over there:- "Picture of my SCA 194 with 100w panel on top - this one measures approx 100cm x 63cm - you will be OK between the channels but I think you may struggle with the 263cm - sorry, struggling to measure the useable length of the roof singlehandedly but I think its about 260cm."

Can anyone provide a some more accurate measurements of the usable, flat, area of an SCA 194 quickly??

 

[totallyrocks]

Thanks, I think they bend enough for the slight curvature on the top but dont want to interfer with the front wind deflector or seals. They just told me its a 9kg panel, which i think the SCA can handle.

 

[Davenjo]

@totallyrocks - re. your follow up question on Facebook - have a look at this thread that includes some picture that better explain how my cable is routed:- How've You Installed Your Solar Panel?

 

[t0mb0]

Hi, Im trying to find out if a high voltage CIGS panel would fit on a SCA 194 with roof rails, it needs to be quite flat across as they dont bend much. They are 2630mm x 995mm but dont have a roof to measure!

Would anyone be able to measure this quickley?

thanks in advance

That is an incredibly expensive solar panel. I’ve got one of these which easily fits on my reimo roof.

12V solar panels charging kits for caravans, motorhomes, boats, yachts, marine

If you search around, you can find 300w versions too although that would be a tighter fit - although probably much less long than the one you’re asking about.